Medicine, science, and the law
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This paper addresses the current medico-legal issues surrounding PVS (Permanent Vegetative State), including: the lack of a unified definition of the acronym PVS, the varying criteria for diagnosis of PVS, and the issue of patients who maintain a minimal degree of consciousness and cannot be categorized as PVS patients. First, we analyse the differing medical definitions and criteria for diagnosis in vegetative conditions. ⋯ However, the manner in which the court treated these patients is the same. Underlying this discussion we hope to demonstrate how medical practice is subject to legal decisions and thus the importance of establishing uniform medical guidelines to assist the non-medical professional.